Washington, July 18 (ANI): A Loyola University Health System study has found that retired NFL football players are at a higher risk for mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to Alzheimer's disease.
A screening survey of 513 retired players and their wives found that 35 percent of the players had scores suggesting possible mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
"It appears there may be a very high rate of cognitive impairment in these retired football players, compared to the general population in that age range," said neuropsychologist Christopher Randolph.
Persons with MCI have problems with memory, language or another mental function. People who have MCI are at higher risk for developing Alzheimer's disease over the next few years.
Animal studies have demonstrated that blows to the head can kill brain cells, even when the blow is not sufficiently hard to produce a concussion. Recent studies of football players wearing helmets with accelerometers have found that, each season, the average college football player receives more than 1,000 blows to the head of a magnitude greater than 10 g-force.
Randolph said the findings of his study suggested that repetitive head trauma from years of playing football may result in diminished brain "reserve" and thus lead to earlier expression of age-related degenerative diseases such as MCI and Alzheimer's.
The findings were detailed at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2011 in Paris. (ANI)
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